United Patriots Support Floor Leader, Government's Programme

Sofia, September 11 (BTA) - The power-sharing United Patriots coalition supports floor leader Volen Siderov and the leadership of the parliamentary group, as well as the Council of Ministers' members representing the coalition. This emerged from a decision of the coalition's Political Council which met on Tuesday.

The United Patriots, which is GERB's partner in the government, also supports the governance programme and believes that its implementation is key to the cabinet's serving out its full term. The decision was signed by the co-chairpersons of the coalition: Valeri Simeonov, leader of the National Fund for Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB); Volen Siderov, leader of the Ataka party; and VMRO leader Krassimir Karakachanov.

The decision apparently puts an end to frictions between NFSB on the one hand and its partners of United Patriots and GERB on the other. A week ago Simeonov demanded collective leadership of the United Patriots parliamentary group and lashed out at Prime Minister Boyko Borissov for making cabinet changes without consulting the United Patriots. For his part, Siderov suggested that Simeonov could quit if he disapproved of Borissov's leadership style.

Three ministers - of regional development, of transport and of the interior - resigned in the wake of a bus crash on August 25, in which 17 people were killed and another 20 were injured. Their resignations were demanded by Borissov as an act of assuming political responsibility for the tragedy.

On Monday, the Coalition Council of GERB and the United Patriots decided that all three ministers would vacate office and that their release would be debated in Parliament on September 13. NFSB decided to vote against the resignations while backing the replacements named by Borissov. LI/DD